Wedded Bliss: Ruthy and Andrew

Dustin and I just got back from 4 beautiful, but coooollld days in snowy Flagstaff, AZ...yes, AZ has snow AND skiing (for those who have already questioned me on that fact)! We made the trek to Arizona for my dear friend Ruthy's wedding. Ruthy is like a sister to me, as we have lived, worked, prayed and partied together over the years.

The love between her and her e-harmony-matched man is so touching. Really, truly head-over-heels in love. I'm so happy for Ruthy and Andrew and love the story that brought them together. You can read about it at Ruthy's blog "Discovery Street".

Due to a great eye and much diligence from Maija (Maija Karin Photography) I already have some beautiful pics to share...and a couple awesome cell phone pics of my own :) Gorgeous Bride...gorgeous couple!

*This just in! Bride just called as I'm blogging to inform me that they missed their flight to their honeymoon due to suddenly falling ill! Eek! So wedded bliss may not be the most entirely appropriate title but I'm sure their love will conquer all! (Details...great detail is on her blog!) The plan is to leave on Friday...wish them luck!

Here are a couple of my fancy cell phone pics of us heading to the rehearsal and dinner:
Dustin and I at a little coffee shop in downtown Flagstaff...called Rendezvous. Ahhh, wonderful coffee!

Weddings are a great way for us to re-commit again to the person that we've chose to spend the rest of our life with. Dustin and I always leave weddings feeling renewed excitement and encouragement about our life together. There was a reading during the ceremony from a passage out of C.S. Lewis that I wanted to share with you:

"...ceasing to be 'in love' need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense - love as distinct from 'being in love' - is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be 'in love' with someone else. 'Being in love' first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise."
— C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

Looking at Ruthy and Andy, it's hard to imagine they would ever fall out of the "in love" feeling...I have never seen two people glow more around eachother, but it's obvious that they also have the "quieter love" that will sustain them.

Backyard-scaping

So, I've decided to start keeping a more personal blog of what is going on in the life of Dustin and Kyah and keeping ya'll updated on life here in Tennessee. So, without further ado, I decided that I would post the inspiration pictures the kind of landscaping and decorating I want to do with our backyard. Currently our backyard is a mud pit with weeds all around the fringe. We have no fence and well, it's a disaster. We also have an old garage that has a very precarious roof. We love however, the sides of the old garage, so eventually we are going to keep the foundation and walls of the garage and update it with a new roof. Here is the best pic (ignore the guy) that I have of our garage so you can get an idea of what we are working with.
Along the side of the garage that edges our yard, I will plant beds and place some terra cotta pots with plants to give this vibe: We will continue with the theme throughout the yard, but I'm excited to be using an existing structure to really cement the feeling of old, rustic meets fresh and springy!
As for our patio...right now it is just a mess of sunken, broken concrete slabs. We are going to jack hammer all the concrete out of there and instead of doing a wood deck, we are opting for tile similar to this: And instead of doing outdoor curtains, which I had originally thought, I am going to put in a blooming, viney plant of some sort on all 4 rounded beams that are holding up the old corrugated metal roof over the patio. Something to this effect: Last but not least, we need a fence for little Lola, but I don't want our neighbors to feel like we are being closed off, so we are looking at doing a fence like this: So, there is the plan, and I intend on keeping you all aprised of the project! Woohooo....wish us luck!
Kyah